Pencil box



G. REINER PENCIL BOX May 4, 1965 Filed NOV. 19, 1965 lNVENTO/E 050/205 news/2 BY Q i f I A'ITOEY United States Patent 3,181,697 PENCIL BOX George Reiner, New York, N.Y., assignor to Venus Pen & Pencil Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 324,663 11 Claims. (Cl. 206-67) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pencil boxes and more particularly seeks to provide a box adapted for shipping, selling, and without being opened singly dispensing pencils as needed by the writer.

Although pencils are sometimes sold singly, they are generally paokeged in lots of five, ten, twelve or twentycfive for the convenience of the buyers who want several pencils and also to encourage quantity buying. Generally, the better quality pencils are boxed in the particular quantity to be sold.

The boxes are generally two pieces with one telescoped within the other and an attached cover flap at one end which must be opened and closed each time a pencil is put into or taken from the box. Moreover, the shape and construction of these boxes does not lend themselves to wall mounting but merely to lie on a horizontal surface, such as a desk drawer.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a shipping and retailing box for a plurality of pencils that can also serve as a dispensing box that pencils may be placed in or taken from without opening the box or manipulating panel-s thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a pencil box that may readily and easily be temporarily secured to a vertical surface for an extensive period of time to serve as a pencil dispenser.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a box where the pencils are visibly displayed to the potential purchasers and are adapted :to fit into a colorful display with the box to encourage further sales.

I have found that such a box may be formed primarily from a single blank which is formed into a narrow cube and provides at least one opening being in two planes, namely the end and front walls whereby pencils may readily be removed or inserted.

With the above objects and features in view, the nature of which will be more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pencil dispenser constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cardboard blank for forming said pencil dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a front plan View of the dispenser;

FIG. 4 is an end plan view of the dispenser;

FIG. 5 is .a rear plan view of the dispenser; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along lines 66 of FIG. 5.

This invention as illustrated is designed primarily for boxes to hold from 10 to standard pencils but obviously may be sized for smaller or larger quantities and may be use-d for pens or other Writing instruments.

The pencil box shown generally at 11 is made from a single blank 12 (FIG. 2), which may be die-cut and scored by mass production methods from cardboard, fiberboard or other similar paperboard products.

The box has a front panel 13, atop panel 14 and bottom panel 16, the top and bottom panels being parallel to each other but not at right angles to the front panel, as they extend angularly upwardly from the front pane-l, as shown clearly in FIGS. 4 and 6. The front panel also carries at each end side panels 17, which in turn, are provided "Ice with closing flaps 1-8. Elongated apertures 19 are die-cut mostly from the front panel but extend slightly into the side panels as shown most clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2. The bottom panel '16 carries a partial rear panel 21 with closing flap '22. The top panel 14 also carries a partial rear panel 23, which in turn, is provided with a closing flap 24, from which extends a false bottom panel 26 from which extends a supporting flap 27.

Although this unit is shown in FIG. 2 as a single blank, it can be folded into the complete box shown in the other figures without the addition of other parts, and in fact, can be arranged for easy mounting on a wall or other flat vertical surface. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6, tabs 28 are die-cut from the artial rear panel 12 and may be used to support the box against the wall by putting thumb tacks or other similar nails through the tabs and into the wall. An alternative "way for attaching the box to the wall is shown by the strip of adhesive 29 on the partial rear panel which is covered with tape 31 until such time as it is desired to attach the box, at which time the tape is removed and the box pressed to the surface to which it is to be fastened. After securing the box to the vertical surface by any means, then the pencils may be readily and easily removed (or inserted) from the box through the apertures 19. Moreover, the apertures are such that it will become apparent when a supply of pencils is exhausted and needs replacing. Due to the position and angle of the false bottom 26, as long as there are any pencil-s in the box, they will be presented to the front and bottom of the apenture for ready removal. Two apertures are preferred but one is useful.

In view of the score lines shown in FIG. 2 and the crosssection shown in FIG. 6, it will be obvious how the blank of FIG. 2 is folded to form the box of FIG. 6. Furthermore, it is obvious that the panels '26 and 27 could extend from the end of partial panel 21, in which case partial rear panel 23 would have to extend farther and lie outside the partial rear panel 21 and be secured thereto. Moreover, the top and bottom panels in relation to panels extending therefrom, could be reversed.

.As shown herein, the partial rear panels overlap and are secured by a strip of adhesive 33 .and the supporting flap '27 has a similar strip of adhesive =34, but on the other side of the original blank for securing to the bottom inner surface of front panel 13. These panels could be secured by other means, for example, stapling, that are conventional to the art. Thus, as shown, adhesive strips 229 and 33 are on one side and 34 on the opposite side of the blank.

It will be apprecited that false bottom panel 26 maintains the position of the bottom pencils at the level of the apertures. However, this bottom panel could be omitted and pencils permitted to occupy the space therebelow, in which case the pencils below this point would be somewhat more difiicult to remove, although the box could be refilled and the pencils left there permanently to maintain other pencils in the higher position. Furthermore, the false bottom panel need not be a continuous panel but could be merely a couple of strips that were sufiicient to hold the pencils in the desired position. Moreover, the supporting flap need not be continuous. It is preferred that the false bottom and top and bottom panels be angularly disposed upwardly from the front panel, particularly as to the false bottom which promotes easy removal of pencils. However, any combination or all of these panels may be disposed otherwise.

This box can be used to replace the conventional dozen box in which pencils reach the ultimate user but this box will provide the user with an easily mountable and convenient dispenser for the pencils therein.

While the preferred embodiment of the box has been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be' made therein extending only partially into the respective panels for the removal and insertion of said writing instruments.

2. The paperboard box of claim 1 additionally comprising a false bottom panel spaced above said bottom panel and generally at the bottom of said aperture.

3. The paperboard box of claim 2 wherein'one of said apertures is positioned at the junction of each side panel with said front panel, each aperture being at the same level.

4. The paperboard box of claim 3 wherein said rear panel is providedwith cut-out tabs extending upwardly from the junction with said top panel, saidtabs providing wall attachment means for said box.

5. The paperboard box of claim 3 wherein said rear panel is provided with an adhesive section for attachment to a Wall surface.

6. The paperboard box of claim 3 wherein said false bottom panels slope upwardly from said front panel to said rear panel.

7. The paperboard box of claim 6 wherein said top I and bottom panels are parallel to said false bottom panel.

8. The paperboard box of claim 7 wherein said false 3 bottom panel is not as long as said bottom panel.

9. The paperboard box of claim 7 wherein said rear panel includes an upper and lower section, said false bottom panel is in integralcontinuation of one of said sections, and said false bottom panel has an integral supporting panel that is secured to the inner surface of said front panel below the level of said apertures.

10. A paperboard blank for forming a box for a plurality of elongated writing instruments of a diameter substantially less than the smallest. dimension of said box comprising'a scored rectangular front panel, an end panel attached to each shortside of'said front panel, said front panel and one of said end panels being provided with a joint aperture extending only" partially into the respective panels, a bottom panel attached to one long side of said front panel of narrow width relative to said front panel, a top panel having the same, width as said bottom panel attached to the other long side of said front panel, a pair of partial rear panels'attached to the free long sides of said .top and bottom panels respectively, said partial rear panels having sufiicient' width in combination to exceed the width of said front panel, and a false bottom panel attached to the'free long side of one of said partial rear panels.

11. The paperboard blank'of' claim 10 wherein said joint aperture is provided in each end panel and the length of said false bottom is not greater than the distance between said apertures measured along said front panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,454,849 5/23 Ganz 206-44.12 1,875,781 9/32 Turner 2 20644.12

1,898,231 2/33 Weiss 229-27 2,323,342 7/43 McManus et. a1. 161145 2,549,568 4/51 Bolding 206--56 FOREIGN PATENTS 769,322 *3/57 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PAPERBOARD BOX FOR A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED WRITING INSTRUMENTS AND FORMED FROM A SINGLE BLANK COMPRISING SPACED FRONT AND REAR PANELS; PARALLEL TOP AND BOTTOM PANELS AND PARALLEL SIDE PANELS JOINING SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS, THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND REAR PANELS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN ANY OTHER PARALLEL PANELS AND SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF SAID WRITING INSTRUMENTS; AND SAID FRONT PANEL AND ONE OF SAID SIDE PANELS BEING PROVIDED WITH A JOINT APERTURE EXTENDING ONLY PARTIALLY INTO THE RESPECTIVE PANELS FOR THE REMOVAL AND INSERTION OF SAID WRITING INSTRUMENTS. 